Reading, media, community links, and the program's policies and tools.

Reading and Watching Lists

Open to anyone. Introductory reading, community guidelines, and general education about the program and the practices it supports.

• Kinky Library, a recommended reading list with links to buy or borrow each title.
• Watch and Follow, kink and sex-education creators on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.

Community organizations and events

Groups, spaces, and events across the Bay Area and beyond, with a little about what each one is.

Groups and clubs

• San Francisco Leathermen's Discussion Group (LDG). Our parent group. Monthly education and discussion for the men's leather and kink community since 1996.
• The 15 Association. A long-running membership club that hosts men's SM and leather play parties.
• ONYX Northwest. A brotherhood of leathermen of color and their allies across the Northwest.
• GearUp. A community and weekend for gear and fetish enthusiasts.
• Rope Burn SF. A group for rope bondage practice and learning.
• Deep State. A Bay Area erotic-hypnosis community. On Telegram, so ask program leadership for an invite.
• SF K9 Unit. A Bay Area club for pups, handlers, and human-canine play.
• TMK, Transmasc Kinksters. A brotherhood of trans guys in kink and leather. Ask program leadership for a contact.
• SF Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District. The city-recognized district preserving SF's leather history, spaces, and community.

Event spaces and retail

• Mr. S Leather. The iconic SF leather and fetish gear store.
• Transform 1060. A community event and play space at 1060 Folsom, used for many program meetings.
• Paradox, and its sister space Stopgap. SF queer and kink event and play spaces.
• Folsom Street Events. The nonprofit that produces Folsom Street Fair and Up Your Alley.

Recurring events

• Eagle Beer Bust. The Sunday-afternoon beer bust at the SF Eagle, a leather-bar institution and frequent cohort hangout.
• CODE at The Edge. A gear and cruise night at The Edge in the Castro.
• Black, Brown and Kinky. A bar night at Powerhouse centering kinksters of color.
• BLUF SF. Uniform and leather nights from the Breeches and Leather Uniform Fan Club.

Annual events

• Mr. SF Leather. The city's leather title contest.
• Up Your Alley (Dore Alley). The smaller, more local leather street fair, in late July.
• Folsom Street Fair. The world's largest leather and kink street fair, the last Sunday of September.
• SF Pride. The city's Pride festival and parade, in June.
• IML, International Mr. Leather. The major leather contest and weekend, in Chicago.
• MAL, Mid-Atlantic Leather. The big January leather weekend, in Washington DC.

Play parties and play weekends

Where the community gathers to play. Most ask for membership, a ticket, or an invite, so check each group's site for how to attend.

• GearUp Weekend. A full play weekend for gear and fetish enthusiasts. A play party in November 2026, and the full weekend in June 2027.
• Bootcamp. The 15 Association's play weekend, held in June. The 15 also runs monthly play parties, listed on their website.
• Rope Burn SF. Group, education, and play: bar nights alongside one-off and intensive multi-session classes.
• ONYX Northwest. A patched club for leathermen of color, with periodic play parties.
• CLAW. Cleveland Leather Annual Weekend, a major spring leather play weekend, recently relocated to Columbus. Usually held in April.
• CLAW LA. The same organization's Los Angeles Leather Getaway, a play weekend held over Thanksgiving.

Program policies and safety

• Safety and Support, how support and confidential channels work.
• Equity and Belonging.
• Background Checks.

Questions or ideas for the program? Email the administrator at MentorProgram@sfldg.org.